[go: up one dir, main page]
Scribd
Upload
85 views2 pages

Example Final Assesment

This document outlines the requirements for the final project in an Evolutionary Biology 300 course. Students must write a 10-15 page research paper on a topic in evolutionary biology of their choosing, with instructor approval. They will then present their findings in a 10 minute PowerPoint presentation to the class. The paper must introduce the topic, discuss what is known through examples and figures from the primary literature, highlight unresolved questions, and propose ideas for future research. It will make up 35% of the overall grade. The presentation will be evaluated on delivery, slide content including figures, organization, and inclusion of citations. Both components require students to demonstrate their mastery of evolutionary biology concepts through independent research.

Uploaded by

api-338245051
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
85 views2 pages

Example Final Assesment

This document outlines the requirements for the final project in an Evolutionary Biology 300 course. Students must write a 10-15 page research paper on a topic in evolutionary biology of their choosing, with instructor approval. They will then present their findings in a 10 minute PowerPoint presentation to the class. The paper must introduce the topic, discuss what is known through examples and figures from the primary literature, highlight unresolved questions, and propose ideas for future research. It will make up 35% of the overall grade. The presentation will be evaluated on delivery, slide content including figures, organization, and inclusion of citations. Both components require students to demonstrate their mastery of evolutionary biology concepts through independent research.

Uploaded by

api-338245051
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 2

Final Project

Evolutionary Biology 300


For this final assignment, students must pick a topic in evolutionary biology (either
discussed in class or not) and investigate it further. Students should provide
background on the topic, illustrate how scientists have studied this topic (including
methods for data collection used), give examples of conflicting evidence, and
highlight how this topic has been investigated in multiple types of organisms. You
will prepare an essay (10-15 pages) on your topic, and present it in the form of a 10
minute power point presentation to the class at the end of the semester.
Topics must be approved by the instructor at the midpoint of the semester. I can
help develop project ideas with you if necessary, and I encourage you to check in
with me (in office hours or via email) as you develop your project in order to ensure
that youre on track. The goal of this final project is to expand on the fundamental
concepts you have learned in class by essentially becoming an expert in your
chosen topic through further reading and critical thinking. As such, the paper and
presentation together represent the culmination of your studies as an evolutionary
biologist thus far, and it will therefore make up a significant (Paper 35%,
Presentation 15%) amount of your overall grade in the class.

Examples of acceptable topics:


1. What is the relative importance of various reproductive isolation barriers, and
in what order do reproductive isolating barriers typically form (if any)?
2. What is the role of hybridization and introgression in the speciation process?
Is the tree of life actually bifurcating?
3. What drives differences in speciation rates among groups of organisms? Why
do some groups of organisms speciate faster than others? What is the role of
biological and geographic factors in differences in speciation rates?

For full credit, papers must meet all of the following:


1. Contains a title.
2. Introduces topic with relevant background information
3. Clearly states topic in the form of a question
4. Explores and discusses what is known about the topic using a minimum of 3
examples from science
5. Compares and contrasts what is known from each example

6. Contains 1 figure from each of those 3 examples and explain it in your text
7. Highlights unresolved questions related to the topic, and propose ideas for future
exploration of this topic
8. 10-15 pages in length (single spaced, 11pt font)
9. Minimum of 15 citations from primary literature
10. Works cited page with citations in APA format
11. Clearly written, with no major grammatical errors, and with good overall writing
quality

For full credit, Power Point Presentations must meet the following:

1. Oral presentation (presenter spoke clearly, made eye contact with the audience,
spoke at a good rate).
2. Slide Content (slides are simple and clear without too much text. Slides utilize
figures, photos, and illustrations effectively to convey points). Like in your paper,
you must include a total of at least 3 figures from the primary literature that you
cite
3. Organization (presentation flows in a clear trajectory with introduction, question,
examples, further ideas).
4. Citations (citations included for each in reference)

You might also like